Broken
by petals.open.to.the.moon.135
Summary: Even though you are not my friend yet or anything even close to that,when I see someone crying, I help them. When I find someone who is hurt, I mend them. When I find someone who just needs a shoulder to lean on, I lend them mine." She whispered softly


**I know there are probably many other stories like this but it just wouldn't leave my mind! And it's driving me crazy so I had to post this. I hope you enjoy it!**

**I don't own Harry Potter and all that wizardly-goodness. Nope, it's all J.K. Rowling's!**

**Draco**

I was a failure. I failed my father. I failed my mother. I failed my one true friend. I failed myself.

It turned out I couldn't do anything right. No, nothing I did ever pleased anyone, always disappointed them. I could never live up to anyone's expectations no matter how hard I tried. But in the end it didn't matter, I guess, for it always ended the same.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I gazed blankly ahead of me, not really seeing the other students that filled the great hall. I was too preoccupied with my own dark thought's to notice anything really. I just couldn't get the image of those red eyes out of my head.

I absentmindedly brought my hand to grip tightly around my left arm tightly but let go quickly when a searing pain pulsed through me.

I was vaguely aware of the people who call themselves my friends chattering away but it was more of a dull buzz to my ears. They weren't really my friends, just….fellow Slytherins, comrades, partners in crime.

Well, not if you count Blaise. We were complete opposites yet similar in every way possible. He understood me but he probably would not nothing to do with me when he found out I had failed him.

I turned slightly to glance at his face but turned back quickly when I realized he had been staring at me with his intense black eyes.

"Draco."

I wanted to ignore the call but I slowly turned back to face him and refrained from shrinking away from his hard gaze.

We sat in silence for a moment and I figured he wasn't going to say anything so I moved to turn when his voice stopped me.

"You did it, didn't you." He phrased it as a statement, not a question but I knew what he was talking about.

I cringed before nodding slowly and looking down at my left arm.

When he didn't say anything I chanced a look up at him to find him looking at his plate of food that hadn't been touched, much the same as mine.

"Why?"

"I…..I don't know." I said quietly. "I didn't want to though, you know that." I knew that becoming a Death Eater had never been what I wanted and Blaise had never wanted it either. But he had the strength to make his own choices and stand up for himself. I on the other hand didn't.

"I do but then why didn't you stop it?" He asked.

"I guess I just-I- I don't know! I just don't, okay?" I snapped at him before abruptly standing up. "I just…couldn't do it."

I headed for the entrance as I walked away from the table. The walls I had carefully built around myself were crumbling too fast. The layers peeling to reveal a broken and vulnerable boy who just needed someone to lean on. But I didn't want to be that boy, I wanted to stand up for my problems and be strong like I had always acted like I was. But that was a mask, a cover to hide the real me.

I felt the tears sting my eyes and I almost laughed at the fact that I, Draco Malfoy, had tears in his eyes.

I didn't know where I was going but I had to get away from them before they noticed. I refused to let anyone see my like this, showing weakness.

I started into a sprint as I raced through the nearly deserted corridors. The tears began to fall as I ran up staircases and rounded corners until it was too much. I came to a slow stop as I leant against the cold stone wall, just letting the sobs rack my tall frame. I slumped down against it and put my face in my hands.

I knew why I had run away. I was a coward that was why. I didn't want anyone to know that I hadn't been able to do it, to stand up for myself. Against my own Father too. Pathetic.

In the end, I had given in and now I was branded with that horrible mark that mocked me every time I looked at it. The mark that indicated my weakness, my desperate want to be accepted and loved by my father. The mark that signified my lifetime servitude to that…that _monster._

And so the fact that I had run away from telling them I was a coward, made an even bigger one.

I lifted my head as a strangled sob escaped my throat before my resentment quickly dissolved and was replaced by anger.

I turned suddenly and slammed my fist into wall behind me ignoring the searing pain that ensued. I slowly pulled it back and smiled in satisfaction at the dark red liquid on the wall and my knuckles. The skin split from the impact of the hard stone but I didn't care. The pain felt good in a sick twisted way.

I knew hurting yourself purposely was bad but I needed a distraction from this horrible thing I call my life.

I pulled up the sleeve of my left arm forcefully before glaring down at the black snake squirmed against my pale skin. I wanted to scream but knew I would probably alert someone so I bit down hard on my bottom lip and I tasted the warm blood in my mouth.

That's when I brought my hand to lightly touch the black mark before snarling angrily as I began to claw at it. I violently scratched the snake, ignoring the searing pain once again. I wanted to rid my arm of that snake, I wanted to claw it off, burn it off, anything to get it off.

But I watched in horror as the snake stayed exactly the same while my arm began to bleed as my finger nails ripped the skin. I didn't stop though, if anything I scratched harder, daring the mark to vanish but was disappointed once again.

I felt the tears start up again as the fell from my face and landed on my arm, mixing with the dark velvety read blood that was covering it. The scratches were deeper now and the blood was flowing freely onto the cold floor and seeping into my fabric of my pants.

It was even soaking into the white shirt I was wearing, creating large red splotches around my waist.

But that's when I saw a small pale hand reach out and grasp my arm softly, tugging a bit to try to get me to stop scratching.

I hadn't realized I had company. And how long had they been here? How much had they seen?

I looked up angrily to snap at whoever it was that had found me when I saw who it was.

My eyes met with a pair of soft brown ones as they stared hesitantly at my face. My silver ones roamed her face for a moment before resting on her unruly auburn hair and then darting back to her doe- like eyes. But it was weird seeing her look at me like this; usually her eyes were filled with anger that mirrored my own but it was a welcome change for the time being.

I turned away as I remembered the angry tears flowing down my cheeks.

"It's okay to cry you know." She murmured softly to me. But she was wrong; it wasn't okay for me to cry.

"What do you want Grang- mudblood?" I choked out as harshly as I could manage, to keep up my stupid façade.

I watched as a flash of hurt crossed her face before returning to normal but I saw it anyway. And I felt guilty about calling her….that. I knew it was cruel and I knew it was how I was raised; muggles and mudbloods were below us and were not to be associated with. But she didn't deserve that title of a mudblood. No, she didn't. She was better than I could ever be in every way possible. Even though it was partly because of her that my Father couldn't be proud of me, beating me in every subject and all, I could get past it.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled and looked down at her hand still wrapped around my wrist. I realized that I had stopped scratching but was now holding my arm in a vice like grip and my nails were digging into the already marred skin.

Granger looked up at me with shock evident in her eyes and I knew she hadn't expected me to apologize to her. I mean, how could she after all the things I had done to her in the past.

"But why are you here?" I asked coldly to indicate I wasn't about to turn exactly friendly around her, just less cruel.

"I am a prefect, as are you, and I was just doing my job." She stated and I remembered that she was a prefect. "And I happened to um, hear you up here but Malfoy your not suppose to be here. You're on the restricted floor." She said and I looked around before realizing she was right.

"Oh," Was all I said.

"But I didn't just come over to you because you were breaking the rules Malfoy." She said softly and looked at her again.

"Why did you come then? We both know that you hate me," I growled, still angry she'd seen me like this.

"I…..I don't hate you." She said quietly as I blinked in utter surprise. "Yes you are sick, stupid, cruel, stuck-up, evil, but not hateful. And I'm only human and I do have feelings. You may not be my friend or anything even close to that but when I see someone crying, I help them. When I find someone who is hurt, I mend them. When I find someone who just needs a shoulder to lean on, I lend them mine. When someone just needs to let it out, I just listen."

I was almost touched by her words but I was still a bit confused. I did need a shoulder to lean, on but did I really want hers? And yes I needed to let it out but could I tell her everything?

"And I figured that you needed someone," She finished as her eyes bore into mine.

"But I don't need anyone, I'm fine." I retorted hotly.

"No your not."

"Who are you to tell me what I am and what I'm not, Granger? You don't even know me so just forget about it!" I yelled but her hand on my arm only tightened.

"I know I don't! No one does, Malfoy, because you don't let them know you. You hide away behind this cruel mask but that's not the real you and I know it. I've seen it so don't tell me I don't understand. I know that whenever someone wants to get closer to you, you just push them farther away. And that's your problem! You never let anyone in, so there is never anyone to help you!" She was seething with anger now also as we glared at each other.

But I knew what she said was true, even though he wouldn't admit it. I did push people away, keeping them a safe distance away. I did hide behind a hard mask, behind cold hard walls locking myself away from the world.

"I know," I whispered softly and looked down at my still bleeding arm, my other hand that grasped it and then Granger's that held that one.

I heard her sigh before she spoke again. "I know you need help right now, Mal- Draco. But I can't help you if you don't let me in." I barely noticed she used my first name for once but I loved the way it just flowed from her lips, no menace or disappointment in her tone.

"What if I don't need help?" I asked my voice cracking.

"But you do, Draco. And I'm here if you just want to talk, I won't tell anybody, I promise. But you need to get it out, whatever it is that is bothering you." Granger said as she moved so that she was leaning against the wall next to me but I noticed our hands still hadn't moved.

I was silent for a while contemplating what I should and shouldn't tell her. I really didn't want to talk to her but she was here, now and with me and she wasn't asking me to do anything but talk to her so I suppose I probably should.

"Wait," She said suddenly and I looked confusedly at her before she continued. "Have you been up here since dinner?"

I simply nodded.

"Alone?"

Another nod.

She sighed and tried again to tug my hand from my other bleeding arm unsuccessfully.

"Draco, you need to let go, okay? You're hurting yourself," She stated and pulled a bit harder but my vice like grip only tightened. I wasn't sure if I wanted her to see the mark, after all Blaise was the only person who knew and he was disappointed. For some reason, I didn't want to add Granger to the list of people who I had failed.

"Why are you doing this to your self?" She asked as she pulled once more and I gave in. She slowly pulled my right hand towards her and inspected the damage on my knuckles, ignoring the blood that stained my skin and was now on hers also. She looked next to her head on the wall and sure enough there were the blood marks that I had made. She sighed before muttering a healing spell and the skin repaired itself quickly.

I heard her gasp softly as she took notice of the black snake on my other mangled arm and I turned my head in shame.

"So you are…." She didn't finish the sentence as she also noticed what I had done to that mark. I looked down and saw the real damage clearly. The black tattoo stood out vibrantly against the bright red of my arm. There was blood dripping from the multiple scratches I had inflicted on myself in attempts to claw it off but it seemed that the snake was only more defined now. And the scratches were deep for just my fingernails though. But I also noticed more to the side of my arm where most of the blood was coming from. As I had been holding onto my arm, I had absentmindedly dug my nails farther in than I expected. The gashed were small but deep and blood was seeping from them quickly. Granger's hand was already covered in my blood and the small puddle that surrounded me was leaking over to her robes.

"Oh, Draco," She muttered softly before surprising the both of us as she threw her arms around my neck. "I'm sorry…." She said and I could tell she was crying. For me. Granger was crying for me. And she was hugging me. The only person who had ever done that was my mother but it never felt like this. This was new and I liked it, I welcomed the comfort and warmth she held as she cried into my shirt. I loved the way it felt to have someone hold you, and how it felt to awkwardly wrap my arms around her and pat her back softly.

I didn't know what to do as another round of tears stung at my eyes and threatened to fall. But once the flood gates are open of course, all of them come pouring out into Hermione's brown hair.

I didn't know how long we sat there,

"I'm sorry….I ruined your shirt." She whispered as she pulled away and I looked down at my indeed wet shirt.

"Oh, big deal, look what I've done to you." I gestured to her clothes and indeed there were splotches of my own blood covering them.

"But I just didn't know you would do it, you know become one. And look what you've done to your self." She whispered as she took my left arm in her hands. "But I do have to ask….did you choose to do it?"

And that's when it all came flooding out before I could stop it. I found myself confiding in the one person I never thought would be sitting with me on the restricted floor, cradling my hand, and listening to me ramble on about my misery.

I told her everything, and I mean everything. I told her about my solemn childhood of being raised by a person like my father. I told her about his expectations from me and how I always failed to be finally accepted by him, finally make him proud. I told her about my mother. I told her that I was constantly punished for coming second to a muggle born. I told her about how I only disliked Harry because that's how it started out to be so we just held the grudge. I told her about how I didn't mean it when I called her a mudblood and that's how I was raised. I told her about Blaise and that I had no other true friends. I told her about my mask, my walls that were carefully set into place so no one could find the true me. I told her about the ceremony and how I was too afraid to stand up to my own Father. I told her how I didn't want to do it but gave in to weakness. I even told her of my task to kill Dumbledore which I was sure to fail. That part sort of just flooded out along with the others, I couldn't rein it in.

I had to admit that talking to someone about all of this felt good. She was right, I did need to let it out but I had never trusted anyone enough before to do it. But I actually wasn't completely sure if I even trusted this girl who I realized I didn't even really know.

By the time I was done, I noticed she had healed my arm expertly and it was back to normal, if that. The snowy pale skin was smooth as ever and the dark mark was still moving against it. I ran my hand over the mark and that's when I felt the fiery pain from it. I knew that I was being punished for causing the Dark Lord pain for he could feel it through the mark but I honestly didn't care.

Granger hadn't said anything throughout my speech but I had noticed her grab my hand and nod a few times.

"I can't believe I just told you that," I moaned quietly when she hadn't said anything.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered softly and I almost rolled my eyes. What was with her and those two words today? "I never knew-"I interrupted her as I turned away.

"I don't really want to talk about it so let's just forget this ever happened. Okay?" I asked her as I started to stand up but she hadn't let go of my hand and pulled me back down next to her.

"Don't do this, please. You've just let me in, Draco, and now you're trying to push me back out again. Don't. It's like these three steps we took were for nothing if you're just going to take two steps back." Granger said.

When I didn't say anything, she continued.

"Look, we won't talk about it anymore if you don't want to. But," I glanced at her curiously. "I think we should start over. I want you to just be yourself for once, don't put the walls up, please, I want to try to at least be civil towards each other. Maybe even friends." She whispered the last part quietly almost as if she didn't want me to hear it.

"How can we be friends? After everything I've done to you….." I asked confusedly.

"That was the past; we're doing this here and now. Just push it all behind you, okay?" She asked before sticking out her hand. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger."

I stared at her weirdly for a moment, contemplating whether or not I wanted to do this. I mean, it wasn't exactly easy to just forget about past grudges and all. But I would try.

I hesitantly brought my left hand to grasp her right one when I noticed that our other hands were still locked also. "Draco Malfoy." I said flatly and she shook my hand quickly before letting it go.

I resisted the urge to wipe my hand on my robes because I wasn't that person anymore now was I? Nope, I was starting anew.

She smiled warmly at me and I realized I had never really seen her smile. It almost made her look like a different person in my eyes. The smile made her look happy, at ease instead of angry and tense whenever she was around me.

"Good," She praised. "My favorite color is orange, I have a cat named Crookshanks, and I don't know how to ride a broom."

I raised an eyebrow at that. I thought know- it-all-Granger knew how to do everything right. Guess not, then.

"Really Granger? A broom, huh?" I said, amused.

"I go by Hermione these days, _Draco._ And no, I can't ride a broom, they just don't like me and I don't like them." She said stubbornly and I grinned slightly.

"Her…mio...ne…Hermione….." It felt weird saying her first name, but it felt nice also.

She nodded her head in approval. "Now tell me some things about yourself."

"Um," I didn't know what to say exactly. "My favorite color is blue, I have a snake named Dragon, and I don't know how to use a Tephelone, or a Tephleone or whatever they are." I said truthfully and she broke out in laughter at my words.

"It's….it's telephone…..Draco…" She managed out between laughs and I rolled my eyes and waited for her to stop.

"Are you done now?" I asked sarcastically and she nodded as a small giggle escaped her lips.

"And you named your snake _Dragon?_"

"And you named your cat _Crookshanks?_" I mocked her and she stopped laughing but smiled at me.

I noticed that I rather liked this playful teasing better than the cruel remarks that were made in the past. I was glad our relationship as enemies was changing into something better. I didn't know what it was but there was something drawing me to Grang- Hermione. Something deep down at the very core of my being was shifting, I was changing. She was changing me even if she didn't know it yet.

But something about her intrigued me, and I wanted to keep getting to know her.

We sat for a while longer just talking and teasing each other for once, no hexing or cursing each other. It was nice, comforting.

Since I had pretty much poured out my entire life to her earlier, she in turn told me about her life.

I learned that she had no other siblings and lived with her muggle parents back in London. She told me about how when she was younger, she would be picked on and teased about being different and how delighted she was when she found out she really was different. She told me that she was glad to know she wasn't just another ordinary muggle because she wanted to stand out. She told me about meeting Harry and Ron. She even told me about their adventures together over the years and how she was sad that the years had to end and there would be no more. She told me about a group called the Order of the Phoenix, insisting it was only fair because I had trusted her with all of my secrets.

I was surprised at how different a person she was from what I had always thought her to be. I agreed that if we hadn't gotten off on the wrong start and if we hadn't been put in opposing houses, than maybe we would have been friends or at least gotten along.

"I never thought I would be sitting here retelling my whole life practically to you, Draco Malfoy, my supposed enemy." She said quietly and I laughed softly.

"I didn't either, actually, but you mustn't speak of this to anyone. Who knows what they will think." I said and I was surprised to see the hurt reflected in her eyes at my statement.

"You don't want anyone to know you're friends with a filthy mudblood, I get it." She said softly and started to get up but I grasped her hand tightly.

"Don't go, that's not what I meant. I don't thin you're a filthy mudblood, Hermione, I just……I guess I'm just afraid if certain people find out such as my Father. You don't know what he would do, I just know he would be infuriated at the fact his own son was friends with a ……muggleborn. I'm sorry." I said truthfully and I couldn't bring my self to call her a…mudblood. It just didn't seem to fit her after I had gotten to know her.

"No, its fine, I understand but we do really need to get going. It must be past midnight and we could get out badges taken away if we're out this late, _and _on the restricted floor." She smiled lightly and pulled me up from my position on the floor.

She started to pull me away but I realized it would be a bit odd to leave a puddle of dark red blood on the floor.

"Um, Grang-Hermione, should we…" I gestured towards the red liquid and she nodded her head.

"I'll get it," She said as she opened her mouth to utter a simple cleaning spell when I heard it.

"Shh," I said quickly as I brought my hand to her mouth to listen harder. I ignored her squirming as I heard the small meow once again. Though this time Hermione must have heard it also because she quickly stopped moving and listened also.

It was Ms. Norris.

And that meant Filch.

I removed my hand from her mouth and she began to quickly tug me forwards in the opposite direction of the cat.

"In here," She whispered when we rounded a corner and found a small closet. I ad no idea how I was suppose to fit in there and I was about to protest when I started to hear faint footsteps echoing in the corridor. I quickly stepped in carefully so as not to knock anything over inside. I even had to hunch a bit, for the closet was extremely small and my near six feet figure wasn't coping well inside of it. I watched as Hermione climbed in after me and shut the door quietly.

"My god….." I heard her whisper as she also realized how small it was. It was also cluttered which meant even less space.

Something was digging into the skin of my back as I tried to lean back so as to give her more space but that proved to be impossible.

I also realized how close we really were and I was glad she couldn't see me in the darkness because I was sure I was blushing at the close proximity. She was pressed up against me, so close I could feel her bushy hair at my chin. I tried to back up once more but gave up and just settled for resting my chin atop her head. It was much more comfortable than hunching over because of the low ceiling.

I felt her turn her head so that she was facing the door as I strained my ears to hear the footsteps even louder than before.

"Blood, eh?"

We heard Filch's hoarse voice as he must have stopped at our previous sitting position where the puddle of blood was. He began walking again and I held my breath as he rounded the corner. The footsteps became louder and louder until I was sure he was coming up to the closet. I felt Hermione stop breathing also as the footsteps stopped for a moment and I was sure he was about to open the door.

But what surprised me was when the footsteps picked up again.

Why didn't he open the door? I was sure he was right there.

We waited until we could no longer hear him before opening the door and tumbling out.

I steadied myself as I looked at Hermione to find her looking at me also.

"I wonder why he didn't just open the door." She said voicing my thoughts.

I just shrugged and turned back to the closet we had hidden in only to find it wasn't there. I gasped and placed my hands on the wall but nothing happened, it was just solid stone. But we were just in there….

"Look…" I showed Hermione and she too gasped.

"Where did it go?" She asked, shocked.

"I don't know, this castle is just weird." I muttered as I stepped away from the wall and looked down at my feet. I realized that he must not have seen the door, only the blood tracks I had made leading up to the closet/ wall.

I heard her groan in frustration and I repressed a laugh at her absurdness. I knew she was just mad that this was something she couldn't figure out.

"Well, now I guess we should get back to our common rooms before we really get caught," She sighed and I nodded.

We began to walk back the way we came and when we came to the blood, Hermione cleaned it with a spell before continuing on.

We walked in silence as we began down flights of stairs towards our respective common rooms. I knew we were both thinking the same thing though.

What happens now?

I honestly didn't know. I knew that I didn't want whatever advancements we made tonight to just disappear the next morning, I didn't want things to go back to the way they were before. I wanted to keep her as a friend.

But were we even friends? Or were we just another person in each other's lives? Acquaintances? I wasn't sure if we could really be friends though, what with my fellow Slytherins and their hate for Hermione. And her friends Potter and Weasley hated me just as much. Or what if she changed her mind and decided that tonight meant nothing.

But something told me she wouldn't.

Honestly, I never thought I would be having these thoughts about Hermione. I was so use to being cold towards anyone, it felt good to let my walls down, to let someone take a look at the real me which was usually hidden.

I was secretly glad that she had found me up there, though.

Because she had slowly broken me down before building me back up differently. I could feel it. She had some sort of strong pull that was molding me into the person I never wanted anyone to see.

We came to the Gryffindor tower first and I was about to keep going down to the Slytherin Dungeons when she grasped my hand, stopping me.

"See you around I guess?" She phrased it like a question and I gave a small grin before nodding.

"Thank you," I whispered before she smiled back almost like she was surprised I had thanked her and climbed through the portrait hole.

I continued down the stair cases until I came to the familiar Slytherin entrance. I was almost a bit apprehensive to enter and face all of the questions that would surely greet me but was I really that much of a coward? I knew I wasn't a Gryffindor, but I was a Malfoy and I was brave. Having irrational fears of your classmates is not brave, though.

I muttered the password and entered the familiar emerald green common room. The fire and a few candle's were the only source of light but so far there was no one here, thank fully.

I slowly crept up towards my dorm quietly for everyone seemed to be asleep. When I made it to my bed I didn't even bother changing from my clothes but I did take off my robes.

I shut the green curtains around my four- poster with my wand before sitting down on it.

"_Lumos_," I lit the end of my wand for light before I gingerly pulled up the white sleeve of my left arm as I once again inspected the mark branded there.

There was no evidence that I had clawed at my skin there, no evidence of the immense bleeding that had occurred. There was nothing except that slithering snake against my smooth snowy skin.

"Draco."

I nearly dropped my wand as I heard the deep voice from the bed next to me. I bent down to pick it up, turned out the light it emitted, before opening my curtains to look at the person in front of me.

"Blaise." I whispered back to him.

"Can…can I see it?" He asked hesitantly and I sighed.

He lit his wand quietly so I could see his face clearly as he came closer to look at my arm. I heard a small gasp escape his lips before he slowly reached out as if to touch it. But it seemed he realized what he was doing and recoiled like I had burned him. I pulled my sleeve back down and bit my lip, ignoring the fact that I was biting on the cuts I had inflicted earlier.

"In the end I couldn't do it, I couldn't stand up to him. I gave in," I whispered and he turned out his light and let the darkness consume us.

"I know," Was all he said before I heard him climb back into bed and draw his curtains closed.

I was surprised he hadn't asked about my bloodied clothes but I wasn't complaining.

I also slid into my bed after closing my curtains once again. I felt my muscles complain as they loosened and relaxed against the plush mattress.

As soon as my head hit the pillow though, I was engulfed in a nightmare filled slumber.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I woke to the sound of footsteps sounding around me as people got ready for the day.

I groaned before sitting up and opening my curtains tor reveal a small bit of light seeping in through the window. I yawned tiredly but decided that since I was up, I might as well stay up.

I sluggishly stepped off of the bed and winced when my feet met the cold floor. I made my way to the bathroom to shower before dressing myself in my usual black and white attire.

By the time I was done, most people had already gone to the Great Hall for breakfast but I told myself I wasn't hungry and really wanted to avoid my usual 'fan club'. So I made my way through the front doors and down to the lake where I had a good chance of being alone for most people spent their Sunday's elsewhere.

I noticed there was a small first year sitting under the large tree so I took a seat a few yards away, not wanting to disturb him. But he noticed me anyway and scampered off and I sighed and brought my knees up to my chest as I rested my chin on them.

I didn't want people to be scared of me; I just wanted them to accept me. I don't want to mold myself into something else to make them proud or to be respected. I didn't want to even stand out. I just wanted to be another sixth year at Hogwarts, no different from anyone else. I didn't want people judging me because of my Father because I was not him. I am his son, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm just like him.

"Draco?" I heard a voice behind me but I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

I heard her soft footsteps against the fallen leaves on the ground as she moved to sit beside me. I turned slightly to look at her but her gaze was far away and she was chewing her bottom lip almost nervously.

I had almost forgotten about our encounter last night and I cringed as it all came rushing back to me.

"Shouldn't you be eating breakfast?" I finally asked her and she turned to look at me with her gentle brown eyes.

"I could ask you the same question." She said smartly and I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. It surprised me that she seemed the only one who could put that smile there.

"I wasn't hungry and honestly I just wanted to avoid the people I call my friends." I said and looked expectantly at her.

"I saw you coming out here so I excused myself and followed you," Hermione said sheepishly as she looked down. "I…..I seem to find myself at ease when I'm in your company. I don't know why but I do and I seem to….like being around you, odd as it is." She confessed and I turned my silver eyes on her as she fiddled with her hands.

I grinned and turned back to look out over the calm water.

"Who doesn't like being around me?" I murmured jokingly as I smirked.

"Shut up." She said back but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Only joking," I said quietly. "I like your company also." I whispered not removing my eyes from the lake.

"Aren't you afraid that people will see us? Together, I mean." Hermione asked softly and I could feel her eyes boring into me.

"I decided it doesn't really matter what they think." I stated. "I think I…..I want to be your friend." I was surprised to find that the words were true, I did want to be her friend and I didn't what other's thought.

I looked at her this time to find that her eyes were still on me.

"But your Father…."

"I can deal with him if he finds out."

Hermione sighed and turned to the lake before closing her eyes. I watched as the autumn wind blew her curls around her face but she didn't seem to notice. She was unmoving yet somehow managed to look graceful all the same. Serene and peaceful maybe.

I took a closer look at her face realizing I had never actually looked at her before. I saw her closed eyelids that were framed by a row of golden eyelashes. There was a small patch of light freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her mouth was a soft pink color and the corners were turned up in a small smile.

I knew she wouldn't be classified as beautiful but the way she seemed as if she was dreaming, she somehow seemed mesmerizing to look at. The way the sun shown softly on her hair and face. The way a light pink blush rose to her cheeks as the wind lightly nipped her face.

"I would like to be your friend too Draco." She didn't open her eyes though.

I didn't say anything but I just turned back to the lake just sort of letting myself go. Just letting myself fly away.

I closed my eyes also and pulled my knees tighter to me absentmindedly. I felt the wind, probably messing up my perfectly styled hair but I didn't care.

I almost felt like I was asleep but I was still aware of the girl sitting beside me and the smooth pattern of her breathing. It was like a dream like state where I could forget my troubles and just live in the moment. Not have to think about going home and disappointing my father. Not having to think about the Dark Lord or the task he has set for me. Not having to think about going back to face my classmates and Blaise.

After a few moments I felt Hermione shift beside me. I felt her head fall on my shoulder but I could feel how tense she was. I knew she was expecting me to get up and run away screaming but I didn't. I just stayed still, not opening my eyes or moving. Just supporting her silently as her muscles relaxed against me.

And so we sat in complete and utter silence, the only sound being our synchronized breathing and the rustling of the wind around us.

I knew this was a new beginning, for the both of us. And I would move on from here, but I wouldn't go back to the old me. No, actually there was no way for me to go back to the old me. Hermione had already begun changing me so there was no going back. The very foundation of my being was being rebuilt into something different but better. And I was glad for it, I wanted to change.

But what I would always question was why it was this one girl who was the one to change me? This one girl who I use to hate, this one girl who broke me down in one night only to start from scratch the next day. This one girl who happened to be the only one who could find the key to unlock the door that was separating me from everyone else. This one girl to tear me down, layer by layer until she made it to my very core.

This one girl who had no idea what she was doing to me.

**I hope you enjoyed that and I think this will be a two-shot, the next chapter with Hermione's point of view. Tell me what you think about it and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I really want to know your opinions so please please please review!!!!**

**Readers + Reviews = Happy Author = Happy readers!!! (If that makes sense…)**


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